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Read the June 2005 FORUM SignatureStory, “A Drop to Drink,” in the digitalor mobile versions of FORUM magazine.Relief effort lays foundation for new charitable organization By Mike Norbut“A Drop to Drink”: 10 Years Laterhe world has seen a host of natural disasters in the past 15 years, but none were deadlier than theIndian Ocean tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia on Dec. 26, 2004. The tsunami killed morethan 230,000 people across 14 countries and left countless more without homes, food or potabledrinking water.T

For the Water Quality Association (WQA),
a trade association representing more than

2,700 global companies from the residential, commercial and industrial water treatment industry, responding to the situation
was a true grassroots effort that started with
the realization that the public health crisis
following the tsunami could be even deadlier
than the 100-foot tidal wave that wiped out
entire coastal villages. Staff and leaders for
WQA mobilized to build partnerships, donate
equipment and supplies, and coordinate
relief efforts with disaster response teams.

Their goal was simple in theory but daunting in reality: deliver clean drinking water
to the survivors and others impacted by the
tsunami’s devastation.

In June 2005, FORUM detailed WQA’s
response to the Indian Ocean tsunami in
“A Drop to Drink” by Jacqui Cook. Through
coordination with relief organizations and
other willing associations—not to mention
member companies that offered to donate
time, equipment and money to the cause—
WQA was able to help prevent a potentially
devastating public health crisis from occurring.

The relief efforts were declared an
unequivocal success by staff and members
alike, especially considering WQA was not
in the habit of organizing and executing responses to natural disasters. The
efforts also watered the seeds of inspiration for some engaged and passionate WQA
members, who saw the need to support
developing regions on a full-time basis. In

2010, Wishing Well International Foundation (WWIF) was founded with the mission
to meet the need for clean drinking water
around the world.

While the foundation is a separatestandalone organization, its goal to unite theindustry around this cause is palpable. Thefounders are all WQA members, and WWIFhas been officially endorsed by the associa-tion since 2014.

“We have no payroll. Everything is donethrough volunteers,” says Guillermo Guz-man, CEO and founder of WWIF. “For us,it was a situation where we’ve been in anindustry that’s been good to us. We havehad a good living; our companies have beenaround for a long time. We wanted to have away to give back.”Supported by public donations and in-kind operational contributions from foundingcompanies, WWIF coordinates the installa-tion of water filtration systems in developingregions around the world. The organizationhas found success in partnering with otherrelief organizations to identify suitable loca-tions to install the systems, and it is con-stantly searching for the latest technology todeliver clean water in the most efficient andcost-effective way.

WWIF’s fundraising is as powerful as it
is simple: a $10 donation will fund clean
drinking water for one person for 10 years.

“When we put that into perspective forpeople, the first reaction is, ‘Wow,’” Guzmansays. “Then people start to understand howthis work can impact so many people.”Since being founded just six years ago,the foundation has undertaken projects inseven different countries across three con-tinents: the Dominican Republic, Ghana,Haiti, Japan, Kenya, South Africa and Swa-ziland. All told, WWIF has impacted nearly
20,000 people thus far.

Because these are developing nations,
WWIF knew that the technology it utilized
would need to be fairly simple, with a focus
on longevity with minimal required maintenance. As technology advances, the potential to positively impact the lives of people
living in developing countries will grow as
well, Guzman says.

“We want to grow from providing systems in developing areas to providing water
in central locations so people don’t have
to walk two miles with 45 pounds on their
head,” he says.

The image of villagers carrying a day’s
supply of water on their heads is indelible
for many people in developed countries who
might see this ritual on television or read
about it in a magazine. However, the image
of people falling ill or dying due to water-borne illness is one that people might not
consider—until they are confronted with the
tragedy of a natural disaster. As the Wishing Well International Foundation grows,
the hope is that the urgency people feel to
help during emergency situations will apply
in everyday situations as well. The need for
clean water never subsides, Guzman says.

“I saw a statistic that said that 4,500
children a day in the world will die from a
water-borne illness—that’s one child every
20 seconds,” Guzman says. “If we can save
one child, all this effort was worthwhile.
Hopefully we’ve saved far more than that.

I think we’re making a difference.”

Mike Norbut is a managing consultant for business development with McKinley Advisors, an
association consulting firm, and is a member of
Association Forum’s Centennial Celebration Task
Force. He can be reached at (630) 857-3187 or
mnorbut@mckinley-advisors.com.